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| Korean Association for Cultural Policy Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Korean Association for Cultural Policy Studies |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Headquarters | Seoul |
| Leader title | President |
Korean Association for Cultural Policy Studies is a scholarly association based in Seoul dedicated to the analysis, development, and critique of cultural policy in the Republic of Korea. It brings together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to examine intersections among heritage, media, creative industries, and urban cultural planning through comparative studies and applied research. The association engages with national ministries, municipal governments, universities, and international bodies to influence cultural policy debates and practice.
Founded during a period of rapid cultural change in the 1990s, the association emerged amid debates that involved figures and institutions such as Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Ministry of Culture and Tourism (South Korea), and Korea Creative Content Agency. Early members included academics affiliated with Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University, Sungkyunkwan University, and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. The association’s development paralleled cultural shifts marked by events like the Seoul International Film Festival, the rise of K-pop, the expansion of Busan International Film Festival, and policy initiatives influenced by international actors including UNESCO, OECD, and World Intellectual Property Organization. Major milestones intersected with national moments such as the IMF Crisis (1997) cultural policy responses, the hosting of 2002 FIFA World Cup, and municipal cultural planning for Incheon and Gwangju.
The association’s mission aligns with objectives pursued by comparable organizations such as International Council on Monuments and Sites and International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies. Objectives include advising agencies like the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea), supporting research at institutions such as Korean Studies Institute, fostering collaboration with foreign bodies like British Council, Goethe-Institut, and Asian Cultural Council, and promoting evidence-based policy influenced by scholarship from University of California, Los Angeles, University of Oxford, and National University of Singapore. The association emphasizes cultural rights debates resonant with cases like the Gwangju Uprising memorialization, heritage designation practices exemplified by Changdeokgung, and creative economy frameworks advocated by Lee Myung-bak era policies.
The association is governed by an executive board with positions that reflect models from organizations including American Anthropological Association, European Cultural Foundation, and International Sociological Association. The secretariat, based in Seoul, liaises with municipal cultural offices in Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Incheon and coordinates committees on research, publications, and conferences. Advisory councils have included retired officials from the Cultural Heritage Administration (South Korea), scholars from Ewha Womans University, and international advisors with ties to UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Asia-Europe Foundation.
Programs mirror initiatives seen in Smithsonian Institution partnerships and Asia Art Archive collaborations: policy workshops with the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, capacity-building for cultural managers from Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and evaluation of creative clusters inspired by Songdo International Business District planning. The association runs training in cultural impact assessment similar to methodologies at Harvard University and hosts policy labs addressing media regulation debates involving KBS, MBC (TV channel), and SBS (South Korean TV channel). It has advised urban cultural regeneration projects in areas comparable to Insadong and Hongdae and engaged in cross-border dialogues with bodies such as China National Academy of Arts and Japan Foundation.
The association publishes peer-reviewed journals and working papers comparable to outlets like Cultural Trends, International Journal of Cultural Policy, and university presses at Seoul National University Press. Research topics include copyright and intellectual property cases involving CJ ENM, cultural labor analyses referencing artists in Daehak-ro, heritage tourism studies examining Gyeongbokgung Palace, and digital culture research on platforms such as Naver and Kakao. Collaborative reports have been produced with think tanks like Korea Institute for International Economic Policy and Korea Culture & Tourism Institute on cultural exports, creative industries, and soft power strategies exemplified by Hallyu.
Annual conferences attract scholars who have presented work at venues such as Association for Cultural Studies Conference, International Communication Association, and municipal symposiums in Gwangju Biennale contexts. Special themed symposia have focused on issues tied to Sejong City cultural planning, heritage preservation after disasters similar to the Sampoong Department Store collapse aftermath, and media policy reform akin to debates surrounding Telecommunications Business Act (South Korea). The association co-hosts forums with international partners including Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research and organizes panels featuring speakers from United Nations Development Programme.
Membership comprises academics from institutions such as Chung-Ang University, Pusan National University, Kyung Hee University, cultural professionals from National Theater of Korea, policy makers from Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea), and NGO representatives from groups like Cultural Action Network. Partnerships extend to international research centers including International Institute for Culture, Arts and New Media, bilateral cultural institutes such as Alliance Française, and multilateral frameworks like Asia-Europe Meeting. Through these networks the association contributes to policy dialogues that intersect with regional initiatives such as ASEAN cultural cooperation and trilateral exchanges similar to those among Korea–Japan–China cultural fora.
Category:Cultural policy organizations